TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalSpending soars on medication at New Mexico state agencies
SANTA FE — Spending on prescription medication by New Mexico state agencies is rising quickly as insurance coverage expands under Medicaid and demands for specialty drugs are met for everyone from prison inmates to retired state workers, a new study by the state Legislature has found.
Staff of the Legislative Finance Committee announced study results Wednesday showing that state agencies spent $680 million on prescription drugs during the most recent budget year, an increase of 54 percent from two years earlier.
The trend puts New Mexico in line with a nationwide pattern of significantly expanded spending on prescription drugs, state Program Evaluator Jenny Felmley told lawmakers gathered in Santa Fe.
Much of the spending increase can be attributed to New Mexico's rapid expansion of Medicaid health coverage for the poor and disabled. Medicaid costs are paid for largely by the federal government. Increased state spending also was linked to brand drugs and high-priced specialty drugs for complex conditions and rare diseases.
Read more: http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2016/09/28/spending-soars-medication-nm-state-agencies/91250594/
State superintendent of insurance vows to collect late taxes
The state superintendent of insurance promised lawmakers Wednesday he will collect every penny of back taxes that insurance companies owe New Mexico.
“I knew we were short; I knew we were gamed by many companies,” said John G. Franchini, the head of the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance.
But Franchini’s comments also raise more questions about why it took so long for his office to act, and, if he knew there were problems with tax collections, why Franchini didn’t ask for help sooner.
An independent audit released last week indicated at least $193 million is owed to the state from five health insurance companies. But the auditing firm hired by State Auditor Tim Keller looked at just 1 in 4 tax reports from the largest health insurance companies going back to 2010. The amount of underpayment to the state might be much higher, Keller said.
Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/state-superintendent-of-insurance-vows-to-collect-late-taxes/article_14465f20-cfea-5cee-9117-3c9050c1419c.html
Federal judge holds Human Services Secretary Earnest in contempt
A federal judge held New Mexico’s top human services official in contempt Tuesday for failing to comply with court orders aimed at improving the administration of food aid and Medicaid health care benefits.
The contempt order against Human Services Department Secretary Brent Earnest by U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Gonzales upheld findings that the Cabinet secretary did not diligently attempt to comply with court orders concerning the handling of Medicaid benefit renewals, eligibility for immigrants, training for agency employees and other administrative requirements.
Gonzales said objections filed by the agency were without merit. “It remains clear that HSD and its officials have failed to exercise the leadership, control and managerial oversight to effectively come into compliance with the court orders,” the judge wrote.
A spokesman for the Human Services Department strongly disagreed with the judge’s characterization of the agency.
Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/federal-judge-holds-human-services-secretary-earnest-in-contempt/article_38855ddb-5394-589e-afc9-41369a5b8f0d.html
Former female inmate sues over alleged sexual abuse at Santa Fe County jail
SANTA FE — A former Santa Fe County jail inmate is suing the jail, a jail guard, the jail warden and the Santa Fe County Commission, alleging that after the guard coerced her into performing sexual act in exchange for tobacco and other favorable treatment, according to a civil suit filed in Santa Fe District Court Friday.
The woman, who was being held at the jail after a attempted bank robbery conviction in Albuquerque federal court, claims jail guard Nicholas Baca constantly made sexual comments to her and she once performed a sex act on his in his office because she “believed that she needed to participate in the above-described sexual misconduct because she was scared of Baca’s position as a corrections officer.”
The suit says a criminal investigation was launched by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI and that Baca took a polygraph test as part of the investigation. The woman made a state Inspection of Public Records Act request for any police reports from the investigation, but the suit says that request was denied by the county records custodian.
“We’re hoping they release the polygraph results so we can find out what the results of the investigations were,” the woman’s attorney, Mark Jaffe, said Tuesday.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/855495/former-female-inmate-sues-over-alleged-sexual-abuse-at-santa-fe-county-jail.html
Commission OKs rate increase for PNM
SANTA FE — In a 3-2 vote, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission today approved an increase in annual revenue for the state’s largest utility of $65.7 million.
Although PRC staff told the commission the estimated the increase would equate to a bill hike of 10.24 percent for the average customer, PRC spokesperson Carlos Padilla later the Journal the average customer rate increase would be 7.6 percent, with residential customers seeing an average bill increase of around 9 percent.
PNM said it plans to file an appeal with the New Mexico Supreme Court.
The approved rate hike was a little more than half of PNM’s requested increase of $123.5 million in annual revenue, but higher than the $41.3 million recommended by a PRC hearing officer. PNM’s request would have on average had customers see their bills increase by more than 14.4 percent, versus about a 6 percent increase under the hearing officer’s recommendation.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/855337/commission-oks-10-percent-rate-hike-for-pnm.html
Candidate for Legislature named in lawsuit by parents of sexually abused boy
A southern New Mexico legislative candidate who runs a Boys & Girls Club is being sued for negligence after a former employee was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing two boys.
The parents of one boy are suing Republican candidate for District 38 Rebecca Dow, claiming she ignored “obvious red flags” that could have prevented Alejandro Hernandez from hurting two 13-year-old boys during his employment at the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra County in Truth or Consequences.
Dow told the {Albuquerque} Journal: “In our facilities we go to great lengths to ensure the safety of our students, including background checks. I can’t comment on the things they have alleged against me, but I trust the legal system will work.”
An amended complaint filed in the 7th Judicial District last week names Dow, Amelia Wilcox, AppleTree Educational Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra County. Dow serves as executive director, and Wilcox serves as assistant director at AppleTree, a faith-based, nonprofit daycare and preschool that provides “comprehensive family support services,” according to its website.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/854804/legislative-candidate-named-in-lawsuit-by-parents-of-sexually-abused-boy.html
Rev. Al Sharpton rallies with hundreds for Terence Crutcher in downtown Tulsa
Before marching almost a mile through downtown Tulsa with about 400 people Tuesday afternoon, the Rev. Al Sharpton and other civic leaders urged the crowd to remain peaceful as they seek justice for the police shooting that killed unarmed Terence Crutcher.
Sharpton, religious leaders, members of the Crutcher family and several attorneys spoke at a “National Prayer Call for Justice March” before leading the crowd from the Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood Ave., to City Hall, 175 E. Second St.
The crowd spanned about a block as people lined up to march behind a banner that featured a photo of 40-year-old Terence Crutcher and read “#Justice4Crutch” and “hands up, don’t shoot.”
Sharpton spoke just before the march began, saying that when he was asked why he was in Tulsa, his response was: “I heard y’all looking for bad dudes.”
Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/crimewatch/rev-al-sharpton-rallies-with-hundreds-for-terence-crutcher-in/article_b4c3fbfe-622b-5a5e-b3f1-0a71760d551b.html
Oklahoma woman awarded $6.5 million in lawsuit against Harmon County sheriff
A federal jury has awarded a former Hollis woman $6.5 million after finding the Harmon County sheriff failed in his duties to prevent her from being sexually assaulted while jailed.
In September 2014, Tiffany Ann Glover filed a civil rights lawsuit in Oklahoma City federal court against Sheriff Joe Johnson and others. Glover, now 32, claimed the sheriff acted with deliberate indifference when he failed to protect her from being raped by Jayson Vest, Hollis' assistant police chief at the time of the assault, court documents show.
-snip-
An appeal is expected.
"The jury isn't allowed to send a message but I think they did," said John Gladd, one of Glover's Tulsa attorneys. "This sheriff knew he had a predator in the jail and he allowed free access, gave him the keys."
Read more: http://newsok.com/article/5519742
Refugee could be expelled from Denmark over Facebook post 'praising Charlie Hebdo attacks'
An Iraqi refugee could be forced to leave Denmark after he was found to have celebrated the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks on Facebook.
The 25-year-old was sentenced to three months in prison and given a conditional deportation order - meaning he will be forced to leave if he commits any more crimes - after he was found to have posted a link to a story about the terror attack in January 2015.
According to Danish media reports, he captioned the post with a smiley face and a comment in Arabic that suggested God deserved the “honour” for the killings.
Twelve people, including 10 employees of the magazine, were killed when jihadists stormed their headquarters during an editorial meeting.
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-deported-denmark-facebook-charlie-hebdo-islamist-terror-attack-copenhageb-a7329666.html
Father of Texas 'clock boy' Ahmed Mohamed sues Glenn Beck, Fox for defamation
The father of the Muslim teen arrested last year after bringing a homemade clock to school claims in a new lawsuit that Glenn Beck and Fox News, among others, made false and damaging statements about his son.
Mohamed Mohamed filed the defamation suit on behalf of himself and his son, Ahmed Mohamed, late last week, NBCDFW reported.
Last September, Irving, Texas, police charged then 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed with having a "hoax bomb" after the student brought a homemade digital clock to school. The school suspended Mohamed for three days, though police eventually dropped the charge.
http://newsok.com/father-of-texas-clock-boy-ahmed-mohamed-sues-glenn-beck-fox-for-defamation/article/5520063 (short article)
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